Posts by: Margarida Azevedo, MSc

Margarida Azevedo, MSc

Margarida graduated with a BS in Health Sciences from the University of Lisbon and a MSc in Biotechnology from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST-UL). She worked as a molecular biologist research associate at a Cambridge UK-based biotech company that discovers and develops therapeutic, fully human monoclonal antibodies.

February 21, 2020February 21, 2020

Researchers Work to Map LRRK2 Cell Interactions for Parkinson’s Clues, Study Says

News

Researchers characterized the structure and interactions of proteins connected to the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene, the most common genetic cause of Parkinson’s disease, opening up new avenues for the ... Read more

February 14, 2020February 14, 2020

IGF-1 May Be Involved in Parkinson’s Development, Review Suggests

News

Increasing evidence links insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) deficiency to the development and progression of Parkinson’s disease, a review study said. Estrogen, the female sex hormone thought to hold potential ... Read more

June 3, 2016

Researchers Identify Promising Targets in Molecular Pathway Involved in Sporadic Parkinson’s Disease

News

Researchers at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging have learned that oxidative stress, a main driver in sporadic Parkinson’s Disease, affects the parkin protein – essential to clear damaged proteins and mitochondria in cells ... Read more

June 1, 2016June 1, 2016

Heart Drug Found to Slow Plaque Build-up in Blood Vessels in the Brains of Mice

News

Platelets contribute to amyloid-β deposits in blood vessels in the brain by promoting the formation of Aβ aggregates that are central to Parkinson’s disease, but a heart medication — the anti-platelet drug clopidogrel ... Read more

May 23, 2016May 23, 2016

Inhibition of 2 Enzymes Seen to Reverse Parkinson’s Movement Problems in a Fruit Fly Model

News

Two enzymes that play an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration, and whose inhibition was seen to improve disease symptoms in fruit fly models, have been identified. Moreover, inhibition of ... Read more

May 20, 2016May 20, 2016

Researchers Develop and Share 10 Stem Cell Lines with Common Parkinson’s Mutations

News

Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging have derived 10 induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) lines from Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients that carry the most common mutations associated with the disease. ... Read more

May 19, 2016May 19, 2016

Parkinson’s Patient, After Nerve Cell Transplant, Showed ‘Major’ Benefits for Nearly 25 Years

News

Lund University researchers followed a Parkinson’s disease patient who had undergone neuronal transplantation, and reported the patient experienced long-term “major clinical benefits,” including the restoration of normal dopamine function. Importantly, transplant-derived cell reinnervation ... Read more

May 16, 2016May 16, 2016

Overactive Innate Immune System Seen as Underlying Cause of Neuronal Death in Parkinson’s

News

Chronic activation of the innate immune system, the body’s first line of defense, is the main cause of a range of symptoms common to neurodegenerative diseases including dementia, an impairment ... Read more

May 2, 2016May 2, 2016

Neuronal Changes Seen in Parkinson’s Mouse Model Well Before Disease Symptoms

News

University of Texas Health Science Center researchers have identified physiologic changes in dopamine neurons in a key animal model of Parkinson’s known to display disease symptoms, the MitoPark mouse model. The dopamine changes ... Read more

April 26, 2016April 26, 2016

Coffee’s Health Benefits May Include Reduced Risk for Parkinson’s Disease, Scientists Report

News

Coffee is one of the most consumed drinks in the world, with U.S. consumers spending an average of $40 billion on coffee per year. Its main component, caffeine, is a natural ... Read more